Assembly for use in bare wire multiple



Feb. 14, 1961 F. R. EDGARTON ASSEMBLY FOR USE IN BARE WIRE MULTIPLE Filed Sept. 11, 1957 SWITCH "B" ACCESS wn u W MUM Ill. .r. H W dl m H. a 21 fi H ......h H. H I 2 H ........L W H I H 55 H NH H! H NH ln/ll. 1 W F q H. NH 1 II F H q m a 11 l .r. F .HMHMJ R! P H y 5 5 I 5 3 4 3 3 4 "u\ 2 2 2 United States Patent ASSEMBLY FOR USE IN BARE WIRE MULTIPLE Frank R. Edgarton, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to General Dynamics Corporation, Rochester, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 11, 1957, Ser. No. 683,260

6 Claims. (Cl. 317-112) vMy invention relates to a bare wire multiple for use in telephone switching apparatus and more particularly to bare wire assemblies used for making auxiliary contact banks for use with such multiple.

In telephone switching apparatus of the type set forth in Patent 2,506,730 to F. A. Morris, a bare wire bank multiple is formed from a group of substantially identical assemblies, each assembly including one or more closely spaced, parallel rows of substantially rigid wires. The wires are maintained parallel and evenly spaced apart by tightly fitting insulator blocks equally spaced apart along the, lengths of the wires. The multiple is formed by bringing the assemblies together so that the corresponding insulator blocks in adjacent assemblies abut each other to form groups of blocks. The assembled multiple is oriented with respect to a plurality of switches distributed along the length of the multiple so that the main wiper set of each switch can be advanced into the multiple at substantially right angles to the wires at a point between adjacent groups of the insulator blocks.

In apparatus of the above described-type, it may be necessary to provide each switch with a set of auxiliary wipers mounted on a common advancing means or carriage to work into an auxiliary contact bank or banks for purposes such as level marking. In practice it has been found to be expedient for reasons of circuit design to make all conductors of certain contact banks accessible to a corresponding auxiliary wiper or wipers of all switches along the length of the multiple. Accordingly, it is the practice to provide conductors formed into such auxiliary banks in an assembly in the same manner as the above described assemblies. The auxiliary contact bank is positioned adjacent to one end of the multiple and the auxiliary wiper carriage is oriented to advance the auxiliary wiper set to engage ones of the auxiliary contacts in much the same manner as the above described main wiper set. It is also expedient to make the contacts of another set or sets of contacts within the auxiliary contact assembly individual or local to each switch and to provide cable-enclosed wires carried on the multiple supporting framework for connecting each bank contact into the corresponding switch and its ass0- ciated circuit.

In the past it has been the practice to make such auxiliary bare wire sections by modifying an assembly suitable for use in the main multiple section (described above) to remove parts of the conductors of each of a certain row or rows lying between adjacent switches. The removal operation is carried out so that the remaining portions of the conductors are positioned for engagement by the auxiliary wiper or wipers used for making local connections. In such auxiliary contact sections it is necessary to individually solder the cable-borne wires to the assembly conductors after the auxiliary assembly has been placed in its final position relative to the main multiple. This is necessarily a painstaking task in order to avoid damage to the apparatus, and is done 2,972,088 Patented Feb. 14, 1961 under difiicult conditions. Furthermore, it is circuit design practice to provide that certain modifications in the operation of the switches and their associated circuits be made by making changes in the auxiliary bank wiring connections, so that it may be necessary to repeat the awkward and time consuming operations after the wiring has been installed.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide a new and improved bare wire bank assembly.

Another object of my invention is to provide a bare wire bank assembly to which wiring connections may be easily and quickly made.

Another object of my invention is to provide a new and improved bare wire assembly suited for making local connections to the particular switch having access only to the particular section of wire bank.

Another object of my invention is to provide a new and improved assembly of wire bank which may be partially bench soldered to its connecting cable.

Another object of my invention is to provide a new and improved wire bank assembly having a portion which may be readily removed after the assembly has been joined to a main multiple in order to facilitate making connection changes.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference is made in the following description to the drawings attached to and forming a part of the present specification, and in which:

Fig. 1 shows a front elevation of a bare wire bank auxiliary contact assembly; and

Figs. 2 and 3 show a side elevation and a plan view, respectively, of the assembly shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, I provide a principal assembly having a plurality of parallel, stilt conductors 1 and a plurality of substantially identical generally rectangular shaped insulating blocks 2. Each block extends transverse to the lengths of and embraces each conductor 1 at a point along its length. The blocks 2 are oriented so that conductors 1 pass through the opposing bottom and top (first and second, respectively) surfaces of each block. The bottom and top surfaces of each block 2 may be parallel to each other and the blocks may be further oriented with respect to each other so that the surfaces of all blocks are also substantially parallel. Blocks 2 are spaced apart from each other along the length of conductors 1 and serve to fix conductors 1 in a row and equally spaced apart from each other.

In cooperation with the above referred to structure, I

provide a group of substantially identical subassemblies.

Each subassembly has a plurality of rods 5 preferably formed from stiff wires together with a connecting block 3 formed of insulating material. The rods in each plurality are of a length somewhat greater than the distance separating opposing surfaces of adjacent ones of blocks 2 of the principal assembly. Each connecting block 3 embraces each rod 5 of the corresponding subassembly at a point along the length of each such rod and is effective for positioning the corresponding plurality of rods 5 in a row. With this arrangement, the rods 5 in each row may be oriented parallel to and equally spaced apart from each other. The distance separating adjacent ones of rods 5 is preferably equal to the distance between adjacent ones of conductors 1.

Each of the above referred to subassemblies including rods 5 is positioned with respect to the conductors 1 of the principal assembly in the manner next set forth. In the bottom surface of each block 2, a row of bores, preferably of uniform depth, is provided for receiving and thereby positioning the upper end of each rod 5 of the corresponding subassembly. The bores are spaced apart from each other by the same distance as the distance between adjacent ones of the subassembly rods 5,

so that rods are undistorted upon their introduction to the bores.

The upper surface of each block 2 is provided with a series of pockets, preferably of uniform depth, for receiving the lower ends of the subassembly rods 5. The combined depths of any one pocket and the corresponding one of the bores is substantially equal to the difference between the length of the received one of rods 5 and the distance separating the lower and upper surfaces of adjacent ones of blocks 2. The pockets are elongated and oriented so that their length is substantially parallel to the row in which rods 5 are arranged. Each pocket is further oriented within the upper block surface so that the lower ends of adjacent pairs of rods 5 lie within opposite ends of each pocket when the upper ends of rods 5 are positioned in the above described manner.

In order to make the subassembly removable from the main structure, I have provided a channel cut in the upper surface of each block 2 communicating between the edge of the upper block surface and each of the pockets. The channel is preferably oriented to intersect a side of the corresponding one of the pockets at its midpoint. With this arrangement, the ends of adjacent rod 5 pairs which are received within one of the pockets lie at points remote from that portion of the pocket intersected by the channel. With this arrangement, the subassem blies are retained between adjacent ones of blocks 2. The above described subassembly can be removed from be tween the adjacent ones of blocks 2 by laterally flexing the lower end of each rod 5 in the direction of the above-mentioned channels in the block surfaces and thereafter moving the lower rod end through the channel and out of the block 2.. The upper rod ends may then be removed from the lower surface bores to complete the disengagement of the subassembly from blocks 2. The subassembly may be replaced within adjacent ones of blocks 2 by reversing the process described above.

In order to make connections between ones of rods 5 and individual ones of insulated wires 4, each connecting block 3 is provided with a plurality of bores preferably parallel and equal in number tothe rods 5. The bared end of each wire 4 is admitted through one of the bores and the free end of wire 4, shown emerging from the top surface of each block 3, is soldered or otherwise electrically connected to the adjacent one of rods 5.

In the above described paragraphs, I have described a new and improved assembly which may be placed adjacent to the sides of the assemblies forming the main part of a bare wire bank multiple. With this arrangement, a plurality of flat, two-motion switches of the type described by Morris in the aforementioned patent may be disposed along the length of the multiple in such a manner that the main wiper set of'each switch can be advanced by first and second motions into the main portion of the multiple bank between adjacent groups of insulator blocks but the switches are further disposed with respect to the bare wire bank assembly such that the auxiliary, single-motion wiper set of each switch may be advanced into engagement within the auxiliary wire bank assembly at a point between the upper surface of a block 2 and the lower surface of the corresponding one of the subassembly connecting blocks 3.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment ofmy invention, other modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. I do not, therefore, desire my invention to be limited to the specific arrangement shown and described, and I intend in the appended claims to cover all modifications within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a bare wire bank assembly, a plurality of straight, parallel conductors, a plurality of substantially identical insulating blocks similarly oriented with respect to each other embracing each of said conductors at equally spaced apart points along the lengths of said conductors for maintaining said conductors in a row, each of said insulating blocks having first and second opposing surfaces through which said conductors pass, a plurality of subassemblies, each of said subassemblies comprising a plurality of parallel rods together with connecting blocks embracing each of said rods at a point along its length for maintaining said rods in a row, a plurality of bores in each of said first surfaces for receiving a first end of each of said rods in one of said subassemblies, a series of pockets in each of said second surfaces for receiving the other ends of said rods of one subassembly, a plurality of channels in each of said second surfaces communicating between the edge of said second surface and each of said pockets for admitting the other ends of said subassembly rods to the appropriate ones of said pockets, said channels intersecting said pockets at points remote from the portions of said pockets occupied by the ends of said rods, whereby said subassemblies are normally retained between adjacent ones of said blocks and may be removed by passing the other ends of said rods through the appropriate ones of said channels after said rods are laterally flexed.

2. The system set forth in claim 1 and having in addition a plurality of bores passing through each of said connecting blocks for receiving the ends of each of a plurality of wires to be connected to said rods.

3. In a bare wire bank assembly, a plurality of parallel conductors, a first insulating block individually embracing each. of said conductors at respective first points along the lengthsthereof, a second insulating block spaced from said first insulating block individually embracing each of said conductors at respective second points along the lengths thereof, said respective first and second points being spaced from each other, whereby said first and second insulating blocks maintain said conductors in a row, said first insulating block having a first surface and said second insulating block having a second sur-' face facing said first surface,- a subassembly comprising a plurality of parallel rods together with a connecting block individually embracing each of said rods at a point along its length for maintaining said rods in a row, a plurality of bores in said first surface oriented to receive a first end of each of said rods of said subassembly, a series ofpockets in said second surface oriented to receive the other end of each of said rods of said subassembly, whereby said subassembly is removably retained between said first and second insulating blocks.

4. In the wire bank defined in claim 3, wherein saidsecond surface further includes a plurality of channels communicating between the edge of said second surface and each of said pockets for admitting the other ends of said subassembly rods to the appropriate ones of said pockets, said channels intersecting said pockets at points remote from the portions of said pockets occupied by the ends of said rods, whereby said subassembly may be removed by passing the other ends of said rods through the appropriate ones of said channels after said rods are laterally flexed.

5. In the wire bank defined in claim 3', and having, in

addition, a plurality of bores passing through each of said connecting blocks for receiving the ends of each of a plurality of wires to be connected to said rods..

6. In a bare wire bank assembly, a plurality of straight, parallel conductors, a plurality of substantially identical insulating blocks similarly oriented with respect to each other embracing each of said conductors at equally spaced apart points along the lengths of said conductors for maintaining said conductors in a row, each of said insulating blocks having first and second opposing surfaces through which said conductors pass, a subassembly com prising a plurality of parallel rods together with a con-- necting block embracing each of said r'ods at a point along its length for maintaining said rods in a" row, a

plurality of bores in said first surface for receiving a first end of each of said rods in said subassembly, a series of pockets in said second surface for receiving the other ends of said rods of said subassembly, a plurality of channels in each of said second surfaces communicating between the edge of said second surface and each of said pockets for admitting the other ends of said subassembly rods to the appropriate ones of said pockets, said channels intersecting said pockets at points remote from the positions of said pockets occupied by the ends of said rods, whereby said subassemblies are normally retained between adjacent ones of said blocks and may be removed by passing the other ends of said rods through the appropriate ones of said channels after said rods are laterally flexed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 330,644 Vail Nov. 17, 1885 2,226,666 Lienzen Dec. 31, 1940 2,558,008 Smith June 26, 1951 2,806,104 Edgerton Sept. 10, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 57,819 Sweden Jan. 11, 1923 585,137 Great Britain J an. 30, 1947 

